Fastener



July 31, 1945.

A. R. ADAMS FASTENER Filed Jan.v 2l, 1944 L/ v y aww INVENTOR. 7770/9 /'bm' Patented July 3l,`

UNITED I STATES i' PATENT f orncg Annin-v afune, cnn.

` 6 Claims.

My invention relates generally to connecting and fastening means and more particularly, though not exclusively. to a quick acting, readily releasable fastener which may be. advantageously employed for detachably securing chairs, tables and other pieces of furniture to the floor, also for detachably connecting parts of buildings,

such as walls, floors, partitions panels.

doors and the like, also knock down structures such as boxes, cabinets and shelving, for cargo tie-downs and for the 'suspension of heavy pic'- tures, hanging bricQa-brac and the like.

' The principal .objects of my invention are, to generally improve upon and simplifythe existing forms of quick acting readily releasable connecting and fastening devices and to providea fasltener of simple. compact, durable structure. l wherein one member includes a pair of spring held jaws, adapted to receive and securely hold an inf sex-ted stud or headed member and which two members are carried respectively by the structural parts or elements which are to be detachably connected.

Further objects of my invenon are, to provide simple and easily operated means for re'- leasing the parts of the fastener and to provide 1 means for'expelling or kicking the engaged head or stud from the gripping means when the of furniture is detachably connected tothe iloor by two or more fastening devices.

With the foregoingl and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement or parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompaningV drawing in which:

, Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the two parts of the fastener mounted in structural parts or elements which are to be connected and fastened. Fl'g. 2 is a plan view of the housing member of the fastener.

Fig. 3 is a view looking against the underface of the cover plate o! the housing.

Filati;asectiontakenonthelineC-AofV Fig.2.

Pig. 5 is a cross section taken on the lino I-I Fig. 6 is a cross section taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2. v w Fig. 'I is an enlarged fragmentary view looking against the underiacesV of the Viree end portions' same maintained in.

of-the Jaws and showing spread apart position.

Fig. 8 is a perspectivev view releasing member.

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section taken on the line 9-3 of Fig.v 8.

Fig. l0 is a perspective engaging laws.

Referring by numerals to the' accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, Il designates a. shallow box-like housing, the top of which is closed by a readily removable cover plate Il and formed in the centralportion of the latter, are apertures n and is.

Pivoted on studs or rivets Il seated in cover plate Il andv disposed on the underside of the latter are laws l5 which extend across the apex. tures I2 and I3 and connecting the free ends of these jaws is a small retractile spring I6.

The inner edges of the laws I5 below aperof the rotary jaw view of one of the stud 'tures I2 are provided with notches I 'l and below aperture I2 said inner edges are notched as designated by Il.

Underlying the free ends of jaws I5 inwardly from spring Il is a transversely disposed keeper I9, the ends of which are ilxed to cover plate il. The central portion of'this keeper lies beneath lthe notchesll and aperture l2.

lugs 22 which normally occupypositions between the inner edges of the jaws Il lust beyond the ends of notches I l.

. Secured to the lower ends of studs i4 below the Y ends of jaws Il is one endv oi a ilat spring 2l, the central portion oi' which is bowed upwardly toward thenotches il in Jaws il and the tree end oi this spring terminates adjacent the edge o! flange 22 on stud 2l.

`Projecting from flange .22 and .extending downwardly therefrom is a lip or lbortiinger 2l which underlies the free end of spring 24 (see F18. 6).

As seen in Fig. i the member which is engaged by the Jaws I5, may be a threaded shank such as 2B, seated in oneof the structural parts to be connected and said shank having an integral head or stud 21, the outer ends of which is rounded, and formed in said head is an annular groove 28 for the reception of the jaws I5 when the parts of the fastener are connected.

To connect the parts carrying the housing and stud, the latter is passed through aperture I3, between the notches IB in the jaws, thereby swinging same apart a sufficient distance to permit the lower portion oi' the stud to pass below the jaws, whereupon spring I will act to `draw the jaws toward each other with the edges of the notches I8 engaged in groove 28, thus securely connecting the assembled parts.

When stud 2l is inserted as Just described, spring 24 is engaged and flexed downwardly so that its free end bearswith pressure against lip 25. (See dotted lines Fig. 6.)

To disconnect the parts, the point of a screwdriver or like tool is engaged in slot 2I and stud is partially rotated in either direction and lugs 23 will engage the jaws to swing same apart and the pressure of spring 24 against stud 21 will kick same from between the Jaws and out through aperture I3 depending upon the weight of the article or member which carries the stud.

In the event that two or more of the fasteners Vare used for connecting parts, for instance, articles of furniture, such as chairs to a floor, it is desirable to open the jaws in sequence and to maintain same in open position until the part carrying the several studs can be lifted 'so 'as simultaneously withdraw all studs from between the pairs of jaws.

To do this, each stud 20 is rotated in one direction or the other until lip 25 passes the end of spring 24 and thereupon said spring will flex downward into position where one of its edges will engage one of the side edges of said lip, thus preventing the stud from rotating back to normal position and consequently maintaining the jaws spread apart. (See Fig. 7.)

In order to facilitate this function the corners of spring 24 are cut of! at angles to provide inclined edges 24a against which the edges of the lips 25 engage.

After all of the studs have been rotated to spread the jaws apart, the chair or other article is lifted from the floor and as springs 24 iiex upwardly, following the upward movement of the studs, the lips 25 are freed, thus enabling the studs to return to their normal positions as a result of the engagement of the edges of notches I1 against lugs 23.

Thus, spring 24 in addition to kicking the stud out from between the jaws, acts under the weight o! the part carrying Vche stud 21, .to maintain the jaws in open position as a're'sult of engagement of said spring with the edge of the lip 25 carried by rotating stud 20.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a fastener of simple, compact structure. `inexpensive of manufacture and very 'effective in performing the functions for which it is intended.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction' of the various parte of my improved fastener may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims. i

I claim as my invention:

1. In a fastener, a housing including a cover plate having an opening, a pair of jaws pivotcd on the underside of said cover plate and extending across the opening therein, a spring secured at one end with its free end underlying said jaws, said opening and meansmounted for rotation on said cover plate for spreading said jaws apart and a lip on said jaws spreading means, which lip extends beneath the free end of said spring.

2. A fastener as set forth in claim l including a keeper disposed beneath' said jaw spreading means and the free ends of said jaws.

3. A fastener as set forth in claim 1 including a stud adapted to be inserted through the aper- Lure in the cover plate and which stud is provided with a jaw receiving groove.

4. In a fastener, a housing including a cover plate having an opening, a pair of jaws pivoted to the underside of said cover plate and extending across said opening, means for yieldingly resisting spreading movement of said jaws, rotary means mounted for movement on said cover plate for spreading said jaws apart, a lip on said rotary means and a resilient membex secured to the cover plate at one end with its free end underlying the opening in said cover plate and overlying said lip,

5. A fastener' as set forth in claim 4 including a stud adapted to enter the opening in said cover plate and exert pressure on said resilient member, which stud is provided with a jaw receiving groove.

6. In a fastener, the combination with a'plate having an aperture, of a pair of spring held Jaws pivoted to the underside of said plate with their inner edges extending across the aperture in said plate, a member mounted for rotary movement on said plate between the free ends of said jaws, a resilient member secured at one end to the underside of said plate and extending beneath the aperture therein and a lip on said rotary member, which lip is normally positioned beneath the free end of said resilient member.

' ARTHUR R. ADAMS. 

